A coherent (laser-like) X-ray pulse (Image 2)

A coherent (laser-like) X-ray pulse.
An artistic depiction of a coherent (laser-like) X-ray pulse with the largest color spread generated to date. Rainbows of color such as this can support extremely short, few attosecond light pulses--one attosecond is approximately the time it takes for light to travel the length of three hydrogen atoms. These laser-like X-ray pulses are invisible to the human eye but important for capturing the fastest dynamics in materials and nanosystems. The light pulses represent the fastest controlled event and are faster than any process in our physical world. [Research supported through the National Science Foundation Engineering Research Center for Extreme Ultraviolet Science and Technology at Colorado State University (grant EEC 03-10717).] (Date of Image: 2010-2011)
Credit: Tenio Popmintchev and Brad Baxley, JILA, University of Colorado Boulder